Golf Tee Holder

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a golf tee holder for use during the play of golf. The holder can be comfortably carried in a shirt or pant pocket during play. The holder includes a housing having a top portion providing access to a hollow inner chamber, surrounding walls and a bottom portion. In a preferred embodiment, at least the top portion is flexible and resilient and includes a longitudinally oriented slit opening normally biased to a closed position allowing a golfer to add or remove golf tees by squeezing from the ends of the top to open and close the chamber.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/202,994 filed Aug. 10, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/301,140 filed Feb. 29, 2016, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the game of golf, more specifically to a device for holding golf tees during play of the game.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Golf is a popular sport around the world. Participation in the game requires various pieces of specialized equipment and accessories including clubs, golf balls, and golf tees to name a few. Golf tees are used to elevate the ball off the ground when playing the first shot to drive the ball down a fairway. Golf tees have a head, elongated shaft, and a pointed end for pushing into the ground and are generally about 1.5 to 3.25 inches in length and about ⅜ inch in diameter at the head. During play, golf tees are frequently lost or broken, and having a backup supply of replacement tees is desirable. Many players carry spare tees in their golf bag which can be cumbersome and lead to delays in the game as a player has to continually retrieve spare tees from their golf bag. A simpler method for carrying spare tees involves placing a number of tees in a trouser or shirt pocket. While this is more convenient than carrying tees in a cart or bag, it can cause other problems such as excessive wear in pockets, holes in pockets or even discomfort on the skin underneath a pocket owing to the pointed tips on the tees.

A number of golf tee holders and dispensers have been developed to address some of these problems. However, many golf tee holders and dispensers include complex and burdensome mechanisms that require a player to load and dispense tees in a prescribed orientation, for example, head to tail in single file or on top of one another. This can be burdensome, whether performed before or during play. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,300 provides a golf tee holder that is mounted to a golf club having an elongated spine with holes that must be loaded one tee at a time.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,130 provides a hollow spherically-shaped golf tee holder in which a plurality of golf tees protrude through holes in the sphere allowing the golfer to retrieve a protruding tee by pulling it from the hole.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,615 provides a pair of adhesively-backed strips which can be loaded with an array of golf tees while being mounted to a golf cart.

U.S. Pat. No 4,573,610 provides a cylindrically-shaped vessel that accommodates a plurality of golf tees that must be loaded in head-to-tail fashion. A golfer dispenses tees by pushing on one end of the device to eject a tee from the other end.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,260 provides a complex multi-component golf tee dispenser.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,697 discloses a golf tee holder that includes a longitudinal track having two parallel rails that accommodate the heads of a plurality of linearly-arrayed golf tees.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,615 provides a complex golf tee dispensing device having a pair of springs operably-connected to a plate that upwardly directs pressure on a stack of tees positioned thereabove to eject tees one at a time.

While the prior art golf tee holders provide some useful features many are burdensome to use, overly-complex, expensive, and require care in loading prior to use. There remains a need for a simpler, easy-to-load and unload, low-cost golf tee holder that a golfer can carry in a pocket or on the belt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This Summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify any key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Certain embodiments of the invention relate to a low-cost golf tee holder that can be carried in a golfer's trouser or shirt pocket or attached to the belt to provide ready and convenient access to a plurality of golf tees when needed during play while also protecting clothing from damage that can arise when carrying sharp-ended tees in a pocket. The tee holder of the invention includes a housing having a hollow inner chamber easily accessible through a top member. The holder can be easily loaded and unloaded with multiple tees without the need to load or unload tees one at a time or in a prescribed order or spatial arrangement. In one embodiment the device preferably includes a flexible and resilient top that is biased to a closed position but when compressed is easily opened to quickly and easily deposit or remove one or more tees.

Variations of the invention allow the user to drop any desired number of tees into the inner chamber without the need to arrange the tees in ordered fashion, which saves time and is less burdensome than devices that require loading and unloading in a specific fashion, one tee at a time. This feature provides added convenience and saves time during play.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A provides a front view of one embodiment of a golf tee holder of the invention.

FIG. 1B provides a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C shows a cross section of the embodiment of FIG. 1A at line 1C-1C.

FIG. 1D provides a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1E provides a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1A in closed position.

FIG. 1F shows a top view of an embodiment of golf tee holder in open position.

FIG. 1G shows a front view of an embodiment of a golf tee holder of the invention loaded with golf tees.

FIG. 1H shows a side view of an embodiment of a golf tee holder of the invention encasing a plurality of golf tees.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a golf tee holder having an integral edge at the sides.

FIG. 3 A shows a side view of an embodiment of a tee holder having curved front and back walls.

FIG. 3B shows a top view of the tee holder in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A shows a front view of another embodiment of a golf tee holder of the invention with a flap top in the closed position.

FIG. 4B shows a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 4A with the flap top in open position.

FIG. 4C shows a cross sectional view along line 4C-4C.

FIG. 4D shows a side view of an embodiment with a flat top and tapered walls.

FIG. 5A shows a front perspective view of another embodiment of a golf tee holder of the invention having a flex frame opening at the top.

FIG. 5B shows a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C shows a typical flex frame member.

FIG. 6A provides a top view of a dip mold for fabricating an embodiment of a golf tee holder of the invention.

FIG. 6B provides a front view of a dip mold for fabricating an embodiment of a golf tee holder of the invention.

FIG. 6C provides a side view of a dip mold for fabricating an embodiment of a golf tee holder of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As used herein the terms “enclose” or “encase” refers to an aspect of the invention in which one or a plurality of golf tees are fully contained within the inner chamber of a golf tee holder of the invention.

As used herein, the term “flexible” has the ordinary meaning of capacity to bend without breaking.

As used herein, the term “resilient” has the ordinary meaning of the property of returning to an original shape after deformation, bending, stretching, or being compressed.

Referring now to the drawings, preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail. FIGS. 1A-1H illustrate a preferred embodiment of a flexible and resilient golf tee holder 10 of the present invention. Holder 10 has a top region 28 and bottom region 30, and includes front wall 34, back wall 40, side walls 36, top member 22 and bottom member 44. Holder 10 can be of any shape suitable for enclosing one or a plurality of golf tees. Preferably holder 10 is rectangular-shaped. Holder 10 provides a hollow inner chamber 42 for fully enclosing and storing golf tees 16. Inner chamber 42 is defined by the inwardly-facing surfaces of top member 22, bottom member 44, front wall 34, back wall 40, and side walls 36. Golf tees are placed in inner chamber 42 in any order and/or arrangement but preferably with the tee heads nearest to top region 28 and the tails adjacent to bottom region 30.

In the preferred embodiment, top member 22 includes two opposing sides 25 and two opposing ends 29. Top member 22 further includes a slot opening 24 extending along a centrally located longitudinal axis between opposing ends 29 defining two opposing lips 26. Slot opening 24 includes opening ends 31 that terminate before, at, or beyond opposing ends 29, i.e. extend slightly down side walls 36. Slot opening 24 is normally biased to a closed position but is adaptable to be opened by application of a compression force at opposing top ends 29 which results in parting the opposing lips 26 to expose inner chamber 42 to store or retrieve golf tees.

Side walls 36, front wall 34, and back wall 40 form a junction at side peripheral edges 38. A top peripheral edge 39 is formed at the juncture between top member 22, front wall 34, back wall 40 and opposing side walls 36. Side peripheral edges 38 and top peripheral edge 39 intersect at four corners 47. Peripheral edges 38 and/or 39 and corners 47 may be sharp or rounded. Opposing side walls 36 depend downwardly at an orthogonal or approximately orthogonal angle from opposing top ends 29 to intersect with bottom member 44.

Front wall 34 and back wall 40 depend downwardly and inwardly from top member 22 to intersect with bottom member 44 forming an angle of less than 90°, or about 80° to less than 90°, alternatively 80-87°, preferably 85°, with a horizontal plane parallel with bottom member 44 (See e.g. dimension F, FIG. 6C). The angled descent of front wall 34 and back wall 40 provides a larger depth for holder 10 at top region 28 than at bottom region 30 (FIG. 1B).

For added convenience, holder 10 may include a key hole 20 for carrying a key ring and keys. A key hole can be located anywhere on holder 10 but preferably is located at or near bottom region 30 on one side or the other of holder 10. Additionally, holder 10 may include a clip member 46 for attachment of the holder to a belt, pocket or golf bag.

Preferably holder 10 is fabricated from a material that is flexible and resilient so that a user can repeatedly compress top member 22 from ends 29 to open and close the holder (FIGS. 1E-1F). Alternatively, at least top member 22 is fabricated from a flexible, resilient material.

Holder 10 can be of any size but preferably is sized to comfortably fit in a shirt or trouser pocket. The size should be sufficient to fully enclose or receive one or more golf tees in inner chamber 42, for example, from one to ten, or more (FIGS. 1G-1H). In preferred embodiments, holder 10 will have a length (top to bottom) of between 3 to 5 inches; alternatively 3.5 inches to 4 inches; more preferably 3.5-3.7 inches; most preferably 3.5 inches. Holder 10 preferably has a width (side to side) of from 2 to 3 inches; alternatively 2 to 2.5 inches; alternatively still 2.3-2.5 inches; most preferably 2.1 inches. Holder 10 preferably has a depth at the top (front wall to back wall) of 1 to 2 inches; preferably 1 to 1.5 inches, and a depth at the bottom (front wall to back wall) of from 0.5 to 1 inch; more preferably 0.6 inches.

Front wall 34 and/or back wall 40 optionally may be imprinted with any identifier such as advertising, logos, slogans, or any other desired mark.

In another embodiment (FIG. 2), front wall 34 and back wall 40 converge to form an integral edge 52 at the junction therebetween.

In still another embodiment, as depicted in FIGS. 3A and 3B, holder 10 has a curved cross-sectional shape with front wall 34 being convex and back wall 40 being concave to provide a more contoured fit against the upper thigh (if carried in a pant pocket) or chest (if carried in a shirt pocket).

In another embodiment, as shown in Figs 4A-4D, holder 10 has a flap top member 70 that preferably includes a finger tab 76 on the front side, and includes suitable fastening means 80 positioned on tab 76 to operably engage with a corresponding portion near the top of front wall 34 such that flat top member 70 can reversibly couple to front wall 34 for loading or removing tees. For purposes of illustration, a snap fastener has been depicted but it should be understood that any suitable fastening means known to the skilled artisan can be used including, but not limited to, hook and loop fixture, VELCRO®, clasp, buckle, and the like. In this embodiment, front wall 34 and back wall 40 may depend orthogonally downward from flat top member 70 (FIG. 4C), or alternatively, depend angularly in inwardly converging fashion (FIG. 4D).

In another embodiment of holder 10, as illustrated in Figs. 5A-5C, a flex frame member 86 is provided in close proximity to top member 22 to provide additional resilience when opening and closing the device. A flex frame top may be desirable when holder 10 and/or top 22 is fabricated from a low resiliency material such as leather, fabric, or the like. Flex frame member 86 can be any type known to the skilled artisan, for example, metallic or plastic strips 88 or wires that are joined at their ends 90. When compressed from ends 90 the flex frame bows outward and when released snaps back to its original shape. The flex frame is preferably secured to holder 10 at or near the top, around the inside perimeter of the walls.

Holder 10 can be fabricated by joining separate components together, for example by gluing or stitching. Alternatively, holder 10 can be manufactured as an integral unit by known methods. Any suitable material can be used for purposes of fabrication including but not limited to plastic, leather, silicon, rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic resin, vinyl, Plastisol No. 65 a suspension of PVC in a liquid plastisizer (Industrial Arts Supply Co., Minneapolis, Minn.), or synthetic or natural fabric such as cotton or hemp. In preferred embodiments at least the top member is fabricated from a flexible, resilient material such as plastic or PVC to allow the top to be easily compressed from the ends to expose the inner chamber and return to a closed position when released.

A preferred holder of the invention is produced as an integral unit, for example by a dip-molding process. A suitable mold for the inner chamber of a holder can be prepared (See FIG. 6, Table 1, and Example 1) for use in a dip molding process using a liquid plastic material such as Plastisol No. 65.

TABLE 1 Exemplary dip mold dimensions for inner chamber of an integral golf tee holder of the invention. Dimension Symbol Measurement Width A  2.4 in. Dipping hook depth B 0.75 in. Dipping hook diameter C 0.12 in. Outer edge radius D 0.06 in. Top front to back E 0.85 in. Front wall angle F 5° Upper portion front and G 0.25 in. back wall Top to bottom H  3.6 in.

In the preferred embodiments, a golfer inserts or removes one or more golf tees from the holder by compressing the top to expose the inner chamber, or by flipping the top to open position. While golf tees can be inserted in random array, generally it is more efficient to orient them with the tee heads at the top.

While the form of the device herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise form of apparatus or device, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

EXAMPLE 1 Dip-Molding Process

A golf tee holder of the invention was fabricated by a dip-molding process. A mold for the inner volume or chamber of the holder depicted in FIGS. 1A-1D was prepared in accordance with the dimensions and specifications shown in FIG. 6 and Table 1. The mold was preheated for 15 minutes at 400° F. and then dipped into Plastisol No. 65 (vinyl dispersion No. 65 Plastisol, Industrial Arts Supply, Minneapolis, Minn.). The mold was left in Plastisol for 90 sec., cooled, and then withdrawn. Thereafter, the dipped mold was cured for 20 minutes in a 350° F. oven. After curing, the molded golf tee holder was removed from the mold by cutting a lengthwise slit along the top section and pulling the cured holder from the mold. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A golf tee holder comprising: a flexible and resilient housing including a front wall, back wall, two side walls, bottom and top member which is adaptable to be opened and closed, the housing defining a hollow inner chamber for receiving one or more golf tees.
 2. A golf tee holder as in claim 1, wherein the holder is rectangular shaped and the front wall, back wall, side walls, bottom and top form an integral unit, and wherein the top member defines a flat planar surface that includes forward and rearward opposing sides and two opposing ends.
 3. A golf tee holder as in claim 2, wherein the top member includes a longitudinally oriented slot providing an opening therethrough that is normally biased to a closed position but which is adaptable to be urged open by a user when the opposing ends are compressed inwardly thereby providing access to the inner chamber.
 4. A golf tee holder as in claim 3 wherein the holder is fabricated from a material selected from plastic, leather, silicon, rubber, polyvinyl chloride, fabric, thermoplastic resin, and vinyl.
 5. A golf tee holder as in claim 4, wherein the front and back walls are flat and depend downwardly at an angle of 80° to less than 90° with the surface of the top and intersecting with the bottom.
 6. A golf tee holder as in claim 5 wherein the holder is fabricated from a polyvinyl chloride.
 7. A golf tee holder as in claim 6 wherein the polyvinyl chloride is Plastisol and wherein the holder is fabricated by a dip-molding process.
 8. A golf tee holder as in claim 4 wherein the front wall curves outwardly from top to bottom and the back wall curves inwardly from top to bottom.
 9. A golf tee holder comprising: a housing including a front wall, back wall, two side walls, bottom and top member, the housing defining a hollow inner chamber for receiving one or more golf tees, wherein the holder is rectangular shaped, and wherein the top member includes forward and rearward opposing sides, the rearward opposing side being joined to the top of the back wall allowing the top member to be flipped open and closed for depositing or removing golf tees from the inner chamber.
 10. A golf tee holder as in claim 9, wherein the top member includes a thumb tab extending from the forward opposing side, the thumb tab including attachment means for securing the top member to corresponding means on the front wall.
 11. A golf tee holder as in claim 10 wherein the attachment means is selected from snap, hook and loop, clasp, and buckle.
 12. A golf tee holder as in claim 11 wherein the front wall and back wall depend vertically downward from the top member.
 13. A golf tee holder as in claim 11 wherein the front wall and back wall depend downwardly at an angle of 80° to less than 90° with the top member and intersect with the bottom.
 14. A golf tee holder as in claim 12 wherein the holder is fabricated from a material selected from plastic, leather, silicon, rubber, polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic resin, and vinyl.
 15. A golf tee holder as in claim 13 wherein the holder is fabricated from a material selected from plastic, leather, silicon, rubber, polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic resin, and vinyl. 